Fireplace construction



March 21, 1939.

G. W. DONLEY FIREPLACE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec.

6&1. W 2 m ATTORNEYS March 21, 1939. w DONLEY FIREPLACE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 29, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE The Donley Brothers Company, Cleveland,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 29, 1937, Serial No. 182,281

12 Claims.

This invention relates to a fireplace construction of the type which comprises a fireplace unit set into a building construction and providing for the circulation of air in heat-transferring relation to the fireplace unit whereby heat may be transferred by convection as well as by radiation to the room in which the unit is installed.

Objects of the invention are to minimize the loss of heat by providing means for effecting a maximum efficient transfer of heat from the fireplace unit to the air stream; to provide for the delivery of air, which has been warmed to different degrees, at different elevations in the room and in such relation that more highly heated air may be mixed with less highly heated air after delivery into the room thereby rendering unnecessary any large mixing chamber for air rising from different parts of the fireplace unit and rendering possible the use of the available space in the upper portion of the fireplace unit for a radiating chamber adapted to receive gases of combustion and to permit a large portion of the heat thereof to be utilized.

A further object of the invention is to provide for admission of air to be heated to a fireplace receiving space larger than the fireplace unit, with air inlets to the fireplace unit or fireplace proper located within the fireplace-receiving space. A further object is to provide for an improved disposition of circulation plates adapted to intercept radiant heat from the back and side walls of the fire chamber and the walls of the radiating chamber whereby the heat may be transferred to the moving air current by radiation and by contact therewith prior to its delivery to the room in which the fireplace is located. A further object is the provision of an improved relationship between the circulation plates at the rear of the fireplace unit, which is the hottest portion thereof, and the radiating chamber above the fire chamber of the fireplace unit whereby a more efficient heat distribution is realized.

Other and more limited objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a front view of a fireplace construction embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section corresponding to the line 2-2 of Fig. l and also to the line 22 of Figs. 6 and 7, thereby being common to two forms of the invention; Fig. 3 is a section corresponding to the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 3 but showing a modified form of the invention; Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken on a plane parallel to the plane of Fig. 5 and corresponding to the line B6 of Fig. 7; Fig. 7 is a section on the line 1-7 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a section corresponding to the line 88 of Figs. 6 and '7 Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section of a further modified form corresponding to a fragment of the structure of Fig. 3, with the provision of means for delivering products of combustion through a horizontal outlet instead of an upwardly opening outlet; and Fig. 10 is a fragmenatry section corresponding substantially to the line |0-l0 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings and making use of the same reference characters for corresponding parts of the several forms of the invention, the numeral Ill indicates a wall of a room provided with a mantel H or any suitable decorative external construction. The wall l0 may be of masonry construction provided with a fireplace-receiving space I2 and a front Wall 13 provided with air inlets I4 located near the floor and air outlets l5 and [6 located at higher points. Received in the space I2 is a metal fireplace unit indicated generally by the numeral I7 and being of double Walled construction whereby to provide a passage between the walls for the circulation of air to be heated and delivered into the room. The fire place unit I! may include a rear wall l8 and vertical side walls 19 provided with air inlet openings 20 near the bottom and outlet conduits 2| extending from the top wall 22 to the outlets 16. The front Wall 23 may be continuous with walls 24 and 25 defining a fire chamber with the back wall 25, 26, the portion 26 of the saidback wall being inclined upwardly and forwardly to a throat 21 provided with a damper 28 adapted to be operated by a rod 29.

The gases of combustion are adapted to pass through the throat 21 into a radiating chamber 38 defined by a rear wall 3| approximately parallel with the wall 18, a front wall 32 substantially parallel with an upwardly and rearwardly deflected upper portion 23 of the external front wall 23, and inwardly sloping walls 33 (Fig. 4) together with a bottom. wall or smoke shelf 34 just back of the throat 21. Products of combustion passing into the radiating chamber escape to the stack 35.

In addition to the conduits 2| adapted to conduct hot air from the jacket or hot air space of the double walled fireplace unit to the outlets I6, I prefer to provide, and in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 9 I have illustrated, an additional hot air outlet comprising a pair of conduits 36 communicating with the space immediately below the smoke shelf 34 and forming an interruption thereof. These conduits extend through the radiating chamber 36 as best seen in Figs. 3 and 4, and communicate with the outlet l5.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 10, the bottom wall for the fireplace unit or fireplace proper comprises a double wall or false bottom 31 provided with side inlets 38 and rear outlets 39 whereby air may circulate beneath the fire chamber and pass upwardly in the space between the rear wall I6 and. the rear wall 25 of the fire chamber. This feature, as well as the feature of the conduits 36 passing through the radiating chamber 30, is optional and has been omitted in the modified form shown in Figs. 5, 6 and '7.

In the space between the double walls of the fireplace unit are circulation plates of sheet metal adapted to intercept radiant heat andpermit the same to be transferred, by radiation and by contact, to the moving air stream in such space. These plates are so arranged as to insure a maximum transfer of heat from the walls 24, 25, 26, 3| and 32 to the air stream while maintaining the external walls of the unit relatively cool.

At the rear of the fire chamber and in the space between the same and the rear wall I8 of the fire chamber are inner and outer circulation plates 42, 43, these plates being supported from the rear wall 25 of the fire chamber by brackets 42, 43 The bottoms of these plates are located a short distance above the bottom walls 31, 31 of the fire chamber, the plates extending upwardly parallel to each other and to the walls 25 and I8 and having their upper ends bent into substantial parallelism with the upwardly and forwardly inclined wall 26 of the fire chamber.

44 designates a circulation plate supported from the wall 26 by brackets 45, said plate having its lower end extending into the space between the deflected upper end of the plate 43 and the wall I8 and diverging upwardly away from the walls 26 and I8. 46 represents another circulation plate located between. the walls I8 and 3| and supported from the latter wall by brackets 46*. This plate extends below the upper end of the plate 44 and, because the wall 3| converges upwardly toward the plate I8, it provides a space of gradu ally decreasing width from the bottom to the top for the passage of air between itself and the Wall 3|. The plate 46 is preferably parallel with the wall I8 and its upper end is spaced a short distance from the top wall 22.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 5, 6 and '7, a circulation plate 41 is supported between the walls 32 and 23 by brackets 41, the plate being nearer the wall 23 than the wall 32. A short angular circulation plate 48 is supported by brackets 48 from the lower vertical portion 32 of the wall 32. The lower portion of this plate extends downwardly and forwardly into the angular space between the lower outwardly deflected end portion 32 of the plate 32 and the upper portion of the wall 23; its upper end is extended vertically whereby it serves to deflect a portion of the air stream moving upwardly in front of the radiating chamber 30 into contact with the lower end of the plate 41, while other portions of the air stream are directed between the plate 48 and the portions 32 and 32 of the wall 32 and through the space between the said wall and the plate 41 as well as through the space between the latter plate and the wall 23 invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6, by contact with and radiation from the plates 41, 48. It will be noted that the plates 40, 43, 46 and 41 are parallel with and closelyspaced fromthe outer walls I9, l8 and 23, 23 respectively. These plates intercept the heat radiating from the inner walls 24, 25, 26, 3 I, 32 and 33 and, due to the fact that they 7 are spaced further from these walls: than from the outer walls, the plates cooperate with the inner walls to raise the temperature of the portions of the air stream flowing between themselves and the outer walls while separating the inner and outer portions of the air stream, thereby to maintain the outer walls in a relatively cool condition.

The plates 40, due to their lateral and vertical extent, intercept heat radiated from the walls 24, as well as that radiated from the side walls 33 of the radiating chamber 30 thereabove. The wide spacing between these plates and the side walls of the fire chamber permits the fiow of a large volume of air between. the same and the sides of the fire chamber, which facilitates the updraft produced on the air entering through the openings 20.

It will be noted that the side edges of the plate 43 extend substantially to the planes of the plates 40 and that the side edges of the plate 42 are substantially coextensive in width with the back wall 25 of the fire chamber. As a result of this construction and arrangement, the portion of the air stream passing between the walls 25, 26 and the plate is highly heated by radiation from these walls as well as by contact therewith and with the plate 42. Due to its width, the portions of the plate 43 which project beyond the plate 42 intercept the heat radiated from the side walls 24 of the fire chamber which is not intercepted by the plates 40,.whereby these portions of the plate 43 cooperate with the plates 4|] in heating the large volumes of air and facilitating the updraft of the same referred to hereinbefore.

Air passing between the plates 42 and 43 is also heated, but not to the same extent as that passing between the plates 42 and the wall of the fire chamber adjacent thereto. As has been noted hereinbefore, the lower end of the plate 44 extends below the top of the plate 43 and between, the same and the wall I8. By this construction, nearly all of the colder air between the plate 43 and the wall I8 is intercepted by the plate 44 and is mixed with the rapidly rising warmer air flowing between the plates 43 and 42 and between the latter plate and the adjacent fire chamber walls. Part of the air which passes the lower end of the plate 44 flows between the plate 46 and the wall I8, and another part flows between the same plate and the rear wall 3| of the radiating chamber.

The air delivered between the plate 44 and the wall 26 impinges in part against the smoke shelf :5

34 constituting the bottom of the radiating chamber 30 while the remainder of the air so delivered passes through the conduits 36 and thence through the opening I5. The air which has not passed through the conduits is delivered from the top of the space surrounding the radiating chamfor delivering the air from the upper portion of her into the conduits 2|, and thence to the screened outlets 5.

In the slightly modified form shown in Fig. 9, instead of bringing the wall 32 upwardly to the top of the wall 22, I deflect it, as indicated at 49, and provide an outlet 50 extending horizontally from the back of the fireplace unit whereby the products of combustion may be delivered to an offset stack.

In all forms of my invention, the rapidly rising warm air stream between the hot plates 24, 25, 26, 3|, 32, 33 and 34 and the circulation plates acts as a suction to draw the cooler air from the outer space through the vertical and horizontal openings between the circulation plates, which indrawn air is replaced by cooler, incoming air.

In order to prevent warping of the walls of the fire chamber, as well as to assist in the transfer of heat to the air stream, I have provided the rear walls 25, 28 with angle braces 5 I, 52 extending vertically along the said walls, and have provided the sides 24 with the inclined angle braces 53, 54. These braces do not extend completely across the spaces between the fire chamber walls and the corresponding housing walls.

Furthermore, in order to make an efficient connection between the passage 55, for the products of combustion which pass through the radiating chamber, and the chimney flue 35, I have provided the following construction:-55 designates a collar having a horizontal flange 5! below the top thereof, the length of the portion of the collar above the flange being less than the width of the gap between the top of the radiating chamber and the bottom of the flue proper, but the collar itself being of greater length than the width of such gap. In effecting this connection, the collar is dropped until its flange rests upon the top wall 22 of the radiating chamber, thus enabling the fireplace unit to be inserted in place. Mortar is then applied to the upper side of the collar flange, the collar is pushed up to press the mortar in engagement with the bottom wall of the flue, and mortar is then filled in below the flange to complete the seal.

By the construction and arrangement of parts described herein, I am enabled to realize the objects referred to herein in an eflicient manner and bymeans of a heating apparatus which is relatively inexpensive of construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a metal fireplace, the combination of an external housing having front, rear and side walls, a fireplace proper set within the housing and having rear and side walls spaced from the rear and side housing walls and comprising a fire chamher and a smoke-receiving and heat-radiating chamber, the rear wall of the fire chamber having a lower portion which is substantially parallel with the rear wall of the housing and having an upper portion which slopes forwardly, said fire chamber terminating at its upper end in a throat adapted to communicate with the second chamher, the second chamber having a substantially horizontal bottom wall or smoke shelf extending rearwardly from said throat, and circulation plates in the space between said fireplace proper and said external housing, some of said plates 1 being located between the lower portion of the rear wall of the fire chamber and the rear wall of the housing and arranged to deflect heated air against the said smoke shelf, means for admitting air to the lower portion of the space between the said housing and the said fireplace proper and said space, said circulation plates being arranged substantially parallel with saidhousing and closely adjacent thereto thereby to remain relatively cool while intercepting the maximum radiant heat from the fireplace proper.

2. In the combination recited in claim 1, there being one or more passages through the smokereceiving and heat-radiating chamber for heated air directed against the bottom thereof, said passage or passages constituting a portion at least of the means for delivering air from the upper portion of the space between the fireplace proper and the housing.

3. In a metal fireplace, the combination of an external housing having front, rear and side walls, a fireplace proper set within the housing and having rear and side walls spaced from the rear and side housing walls and comprising a fire chamber and a smoke-receiving and heat-radiating chamber, the rear wall of the fire chamber having a lower portion which is substantially parallel with the rear wall of the housing and having an upper portion which slopes forwardly, said fire chamber terminating at its upper end in a throat adapted to communicate with the second chamber, the second chamber having a substantially horizontal bottom wall or smoke shelf extending rearwardly from said throat, and substantiaily parallel circulation plates interposed between the rear wall 'of the fire chamber and the rear wall of the housing and having their lower ends adjacent to the bottom of the fire chamber and the bottom of the housing, circulation plates interposed between the side walls f the fire chamber and the side walls of the smoke-receiving and heat-radiating chamber and the side walls of the housing, the said plates being arranged substantially parallel with the respective Walls of the housing and closely adjacent thereto thereby to remain relatively cool While intercepting the maximum radiant heat from the fireplace proper, means for supplying air to the bottom of the space provided between the fire chamber and the housing, and means for delivering heated air from the upper portion of said space.

4. In the combination recited in claim 3, there being one or more passages through the smokereceiving and heat-radiating chamber for heated air directed against the bottom thereof, said passage or passages constituting a portion at least of the means for delivering air from the upper portion of the space between the fireplace proper and the housing.

5. In the combination recited in claim 3, there being a circulation plate arranged between the rear wall of the smoke-receiving and heat-radiating chamber and the rear wall of the housing and being adjacent to and substantially parallel with the latter wall.

6. In the combination recited in claim 3, the means for delivering the air from the upper portion of the space between the fireplace proper and the housing comprising one or more conduits communicating with the upper portion of said space.

7. In a metal fireplace, the combination of an external housing having front, rear and side walls, a fireplace proper set within the housing and having rear and side walls and spaced from the rear and side housing walls and comp-rising a fire chamber and a smoke-receiving and heatradiating chamber, the rear wall of the fire chamher having a lower portion which is substantially parallel with the rear wall of the housing and having an upper portion which slopes forwardly, said fire chamber terminating at its upper end in a throat adapted to communicate with the second chamber, the second chamber having a substantially horizontal bottom wall or smoke shelf extending rearwardly from said throat, parallel circulation plates interposed between the lower portion of the rear wall of the fire chamber and the rear housing wall and having their upper ends overlapping the lower portion of the upwardly sloping rear wall of the fire chamber and extending substantially parallel therewith, a circulation plate interposed between the sloping rear wall of the fire chamber and the rear wall of the housing and having its lower end interposed between the said housing wall and the upwardly deflected end of the outer of the two first-mentioned circulation plates, the last mentioned plate having its upper end located below the outer portion of the said smoke shelf, means for admitting air to the bottom of the space between the fire chamber and the housing, and means for delivering heated air from said space, said means comprising one or more passages extending through the smoke-receiving and heat-radiating chamber and communicating at their lower ends, through the smoke shelf, with the space therebeneath.

8. In a metal fireplace, the combination of an external housing having front, rear and side walls, a fireplace proper set within the housing and having rear and side walls spaced from the rear and side housing walls and comprising a fire chamber and a smoke-receiving and heat-radiathaving a lower portion which is substantially parallel with the rear wall of the housing and having an upper portion which slopes forwardly, said fire chamber terminating at its upper end in a throat adapted to communicate with the second chamber, the second chamber having a substantially horizontal bottom wall or smoke shelf extending rearwardly from said throat, parallel circulation plates interposed between the lower portion of the rear wall of the fire chamber and the rear housing wall and having their upper ends overlapping the lower portion of the upwardly sloping rear wall of the fire chamber and extending substantially parallel therewith, a circulation plate interposed between the sloping rear wall of the fire chamber and the rear wall of the housing and having its lower end interposed between the said housing wall and the upwardly deflected end of the outer of the two first-mentioned circulation plates, the last mentioned plate having its upper end located below the outer portion of the said smoke shelf, a circulation plate interposed between the back wall of the smoke-receiving and heat-radiating chamber and the back wall of the housing, circulation plates interposed between the sides of the fire chamber and the sides of the smoke-receiving and heat-radiating chamber and the corresponding sides of the housing, and means for admitting air to the bottom of the space between the fire chamber and the housing and means for delivering heated air from said space, the means for delivering heated air comprising one or more conduits communicating with the upper end of the space surrounding the smoke-receiving and heat-radiating chamber.

9. In the combination recited in claim 8, the front wall of the housing being spaced from the front wall of the smoke-receiving and heat-radiating chamber, and a circulation plate in said space and extending in proximity to the upper ends of said walls.

10. In the combination recited in claim 3, the means for supplying air to the lower portion. of the space between the fireplace proper and the housing comprising a double-walled passage located below the bottom wall of the fire chamber and delivering air through both branches of said passage into the bottom of said space.

11. In the combination recited in claim 3, the circulation plates interposed between the sides of the fireplace proper and the corresponding sides of the housing extending from the lower portion of the space between the fireplace proper and the housing along the sides of the smokereceiving and heat-radiating chamber and adjacent the upper ends thereof, and the outer of the two plates interposed between the rear wall of the fire chamber and the rear wall of the housing extending substantially as far as the planes of the last mentioned plates.

12. As a means for connecting a smoke receiving chamber of a metal fireplace heater with a stack having its inlet spaced above the outlet from said chamber, a collar having a flange intermediate the top and bottom thereof adapted to rest upon the top of the said chamber, the said collar being of sufficient length to extend into the upper end of the said chamber and into the lower end of the stack, the portion of the said collar above the said flange being shorter than the space between the bottom of the stack and the top of the said chamber, and means including said flange for securing the collar in place with the flange between the bottom of the stack and the top of the chamber.

GEORGE W. DONLEY. 

